


A Break from the World

by madpc23 (smallspidey)



Category: Gravity Falls, Over the Garden Wall (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, College, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-28
Updated: 2017-12-28
Packaged: 2019-02-22 21:43:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,578
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13175796
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/smallspidey/pseuds/madpc23
Summary: Wirt tries to to help Dipper relax as he becomes increasingly stressed about his essay.





	A Break from the World

Dipper sighed, pushing his hands through the hair falling along his forehead. As he did this he closed his eyes, forcing the laptop sitting in front of him out of his eyesight as if it had been personally attacking him. As he flicked his eyes back opened he glanced to the lower corner of the screen and read “8:56.” He breathed out in frustration only to prompt the boy sitting on Dippers twin sized bed to speak up from his book, “Dip, just breathe. It’s going to be fine,” he spoke. “And you still have like, three hours. I know you can finish it that fast. It's just editing at this point, right?" Dipper had been sitting in front of his desk for hours. Today happened to be a day off which he was forever grateful for but it never seemed like enough time. "Besides," Wirt added, "I've seen you bullshit a paper two hours before it was due." How Dipper did that Wirt will never know. 

“Yeah,” Dipper spoke without turning around from his desk, hands still gripping his hair. “But I got a C+ on that, Wirt. I have to get an A on this paper.” 

“No,” Wirt slid off the bed. “You already have an A in English Lit. I’m pretty sure you could bomb this essay and still pass with one of the highest grades in your class.” As Wirt spoke he strode over to stand behind Dippers desk chair. Gently he removed Dippers hands and replaced them with his own. Wirt let his fingers feel the soft of Dippers brown waves and the tension he held in his scalp after hours of anxiously staring at his screen. 

Dipper breathed out, "Okay, fine. I don’t need an A. I want one though." As he felt Wirt's fingers run through his hair, Dipper already found himself calming down slightly. "I love this class, Wirt. I want to prove that I'm good at it too. I can't just hand in anything." 

Despite Dipper knowing that Wirt was most likely right about his work being good enough he couldn’t help but let the worry consume him. He couldn’t help but feel increasingly worried as he considered the possible consequences of a poor or even failing grade. He prided himself on his writing so he couldn’t just hand in garbage. 

As Dipper felt the dread burrow inside his mind Wirt leaned in closer to Dipper and rested his head in the crook of Dipper’s neck. It was as if Wirt could feel the stress building up within him. The heat of Wirt's breath wrapped around Dipper's neck almost forcibly making his shoulders relax. 

"You've been working on this for too long, Dipper." Wirt moved to kiss Dipper's neck gently in an attempt to calm him down but instead caused Dipper's cheeks to flush red. Somehow, even after a year, Dipper would get flustered from any little act of affection from Wirt, and of course, this just enticed Wirt to express his affection as often as possible. 

"I know," Dipper sighed. He was aware of how dramatic he was sounding but he couldn't stop it. The longer he stared at the page the less confident he felt about the hours he had spent earlier on it. A small piece of him nagged at him to just delete the work he had done and just start from scratch but he supressed it knowing it would just make the next few hours that much worse. 

Wirt brushed his fingers through the hair near the bottom of Dipper's neck as he continued leaning on him, staying silent as he thought to himself. "Here," he spoke up, "how about we go for a coffee?" He said this hoping that Dipper could get outside just long enough to clear his head. It was getting very cold out seen as winter was coming in full force, but Wirt decided he could manage if it would make tonight easier on Dipper. When they come back Dipper can look at the essay one more time and the two of them can worry about the paper together and hopefully recognise all the good work he has done. For now though, he would just worry about getting Dipper out of their dorm. 

"I don't have that kind of time, Wirt." 

"It doesn't have to be for long," Wirt said. "We can just run over to the campus café and then, once we get back I can help you edit to your hearts content," Wirt laughed as he said this but he really did mean it. If Dipper still felt unconfident about his work then he would do everything in his power to help him finish it in time. He did suspect though that all he needed was to step away from the essay. 

"Fine," Dipper said simply. I devilish smile crept onto Dipper's face as he shot back at Wirt, "You shouldn’t have said that, though. You'll be up all night working on an essay that isn't even yours." As he spoke, Dipper stood from his store, stretching. As the two of them moved towards the door he shrugged on an old jacket and wrapped his face and neck in a little bit too large scarf Mabel had knit for him as a going away gift. It was the gift he was most grateful for especially during the cold days leading up to Christmas. It held a sence of warmth that could only be held by something made with so much love. 

Once the two of them left the comfort of the warm building containing Dipper and Wirt’s dorm they found themselves in the snow. The flakes of snow spiral from the sky decorating both of their hair. The snow covering the sidewalk is light and powdery, completely free of foot prints. It puffs like smoke around their feet as they walk causing Dipper to giggle to himself as he turns to kick the snow around him onto Wirt. As they slowly work their way to the café the two of them kick wildly trying to cover the other with more snow. Each time Wirt kicks the snow he, more often than not, misses and sends the snow back onto himself causing Dipper to fall into a fit of laughter. As Dipper finally pulls himself back together he slips his hand into Wirt's, leaning in closely, partially because of the chill forcing its way past his scarf, biting at his cheeks, and partially because he already is beginning to feel a wave of relief just by stepping outside and away from his work. 

After they calmed down slightly, Dipper and Wirt make their way more quickly to the campus coffee shop, only around a ten minute walk from their shared dorm. Inside it has been decorated with various different types of decorations. It looks surprisingly comforting for a university building. The windows are laced with gold coloured stringed lights and along the window sill sits fake snow as well as porcelain houses and shops making a simple village. In the corner sits a small tree adorned with yellow and blue ornaments themed around the university. Underneath sits small piles of presents which admittedly where probably empty but it filled the small room with a sense of warmth and homeliness. Dipper lets out a breath of relief as he enters without even registering it causing Wirt to smile as Dipper’s mood clearly was already improving. 

Wirt buys himself and Dipper each a peppermint mocha that are criminally sweet but delicious in spite of that while Dipper puts there things at a table in the corner. Together they sit and Dipper takes the moment to discuss his work away from the project. It feels oddly relaxing to talk about the good and the bad without being able to do anything about it. Suddenly, Dipper hops up from his seat after finishing his drink. Wirt has been sitting across from him in a booth style bench pressed up against the wall and Dipper slips into the empty space on the bench next to Wirt. Pressing up so closely that they could feel each other's warmth, Dipper leaned into Wirt once again. To the right of their table, there is a large window allowing Dipper an Wirt watch the snow fall slowly and carelessly. As the sun begins to set in a swirl of blues and purples and reds and oranges the two students watch with an unspoken feeling of love and comfort leaning over them. A swell of warmth burst through Dipper's chest so strong he can barely bare it. The moment is simply too perfect. And this moment was too close to being lost. If Dipper had let his anxiety spiral out of control he would have lost this beautiful moment to the pressure of a perfect score. Dipper shifts and finds himself starring into Wirt's eyes and smiling. He leans in quickly but purposefully into Wirt's lips and kisses him. The world feels small and as if it only contained the two of them and the breath-taking sunset. There was no barista glancing away as if she didn't see them. There was no coffee shop at all. And there was no paper and no score. It was just them and contents of this moment. 

As Dipper moved away he lay his head on Wirt's shoulder, focusing back on the colours dancing in the sky and whispered, "Thank you, Wirt."

**Author's Note:**

> Here's my story for the secret santa pinescone exchange. I ended up changing my whole story last minute so I hope it reads alright. I may continue working on the older idea. If I do, I will post it here when it is done :) 
> 
>  
> 
> (For anyone reading that is interested, you can find more of my work at: chimericalink.tumblr.com)


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